Hays CISD is taking advantage of a new state law that went into effect this school year that allows districts to bank time in order to avoid having to make up for inclement weather delays and cancellations. This will require the district to add 10 minutes at the beginning of the school day to the elementary school schedule beginning Jan. 5, 2016, when students returned from the holiday break. High schools and middle schools in Hays CISD already have longer school days, so their schedules will not have to be adjusted to accumulate extra time.
House Bill 2610, which passed into law this last legislative session, changed the language regarding the minimum time students must be in school. Previously, that time was measured in the number of school days. Now, it is measured by the number of instructional minutes.
The district’s current elementary school schedules meet the minimum required number of minutes, but do not allow for any extra time. By adding 10 minutes each day during the course of the spring semester to the elementary schedules, the district will be able to bank an additional 980 minutes for elementary students. Because of their already longer school day, the high schools and middle schools in the district are banking 1,750 and 2,625 minutes this year with the current schedule. Avoiding an inclement weather make-up day requires 420 minutes. Avoiding making up for delayed starts requires either 120 or 180 minutes.
Board members are aware that changing the school schedules may disrupt morning routines, however, by adding just a little extra time each day to the elementary schedule, the board believes the benefit to families will be worth making the change.
